Once Upon A Time
by SaintlyZombieKiller
Summary: Before Gretel almost died at the hands of the gingerbread witch, there were two other children who were not so lucky to leave. (One shot)


_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own anything but the idea. This is what happens when I play the Hansel and Gretal bonus game again and see the little blue dress and a stuffed bunny._

* * *

**Once Upon A Time**

Our story begins as most fairy tale stories began...

_Once upon a time..._

...there was a young boy whose parents worked on a farm. The boy was called Mark. He was always in trouble for telling lies, and was nicknamed The Boy Who Cried Wolf. The farm his parents worked on belonged to a rich family who lived in a big house. The family had one daughter.

Her name was Alice. She had a very vivid and wild imagination. She was often scolded by her parents about making up wild stories. Eventually Alice began to keep her wonderland a secret and wrote about her adventures. Alice was also tutored by a Governess who spent more time trying to find Alice, then actually teaching her. Alice never liked her Governess or the lessons. They were all boring to her. It was while she was hiding that Alice met Mark.

Mark watched Alice over the wall. "What you doing in the mulberry bush?"

Alice's head whipped round and she held a finger to her lips. "Shh!

Mark raised an eyebrow. "Shh? I only asked a question. "

"And I'm trying to hide. Now go away." Alice ordered. From the house came a shrill calling. Alice tried to hide further in the mulberry bush. Mark chuckled.

"They will find you down there. You don't look like a mulberry." He snickered. Alice glared at him.

"She'll find me all right if you keep talking. Go away!"

"_Alice!"_

Mark glanced up and down the wall. "You can sneak out with me. We can play in the woods." Alice looked Mark over. Could she trust him? The shrill voice of her governess was getting closer.

Alice shot up out of the bush and made her way towards the front gate. Mark watched as she effortlessly squeezed through the bars. He jumped down from the wall and led Alice into the forest.

* * *

"I'm Mark."

Alice regarded the boy closely before wrinkling her nose. "The Boy Who Cried Wolf."

Marked blushed a lite and scratched the back of his neck. "You've heard about that."

"Everyone heard about that." Alice replied snootily. She placed her hands in her pinafore pockets.

"So I guess your name is Alice."

"Yes."

"Who were you hiding from?" Mark helped Alice over a fallen log.

"My governess. I hate taking lessons. They're so boring." Alice complained. They stopped in a clearing. "Do you think there are any wolves here?" Alice asked. Mark laughed.

"Silly! You don't it get wolves here. That's in Eastern France." Mark watched Alice twirled round. "Dad says we have lots of rabbits and foxes and deer." Mark pulled a face.

"I love rabbits." Alice cheered.

"Dad says we don't have wolves here because of the livestock." Mark added.

"The foxes can get at the chickens though." Alice argued. They're walked deeper into the forest. Mark shrugged. Alice paused. "Where are we?"

"Don't worry. I know the way home." Mark reassured. Alice frowned but followed him further.

* * *

It was getting dark when Mark admitted that they were lost. Alice sat on a stump and began to cry. "I want to go home." She whined. The forest looked so different.

"Hey. Don't cry. I'll get us home soon." Mark smiled. Alice sniffed and pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. "Stay here and I'll look around."

It took Mark awhile but he managed to clear a path. Deep in an underground cave and in front of a death door, the two children stood trembling. Mark managed to open the door and a wonderful smell overwhelmed them.

"Do you smell that?" He asked. Alice nodded her head.

"It smells like cinnamon, burnt sugar and ginger." Mark tugged at Alice's hand and they entered a new part of the forest. "Mark look! A house made of gingerbread!" Alice exclaimed.

The two children took a step towards the house when a pair of hands clamped down on their shoulders. "It's rare that I get visitors." Alice screamed in terror. Mark tried to pull himself free. The witch cackled.

"Let us to!" He yelled.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly to that. Please stay for dinner. I have a pot big enough for both of you." The witch laughed. She stole the children into her house and locked them away.

* * *

Alice whimpered in the corner of their prison. Mark wanted to pick the lock but was unable to find one. "I want to go home." Alice sniffed.

"I know but we can't get out." Mark sighed.

"I should never have left." Alice began to cry again. Mark pulled her into a hug. She sobbed on his shoulder. There came a strange sound from the room and the witch returned.

"Sweet children. Do I have the ingredients for you. Rosemary, thyme, carrots and new potatoes." The witch licked her lips. "Just thinking about it is making me hungry."

"Let us go! Right now!" Mark demanded. This only served to make the witch laugh. "When our parents hear about this!" Mark warned.

"Your parents won't find a trace of you." The witch replied. Alice sobbed harder. The witch revelled in her sobs before disappearing down stairs. The children waited in fear.

* * *

Alice's parents never saw their daughter again. They searched far and wide for her. Eventually they ended their days in seclusion and selling everything they owned. Mark's parents, unable to cope with the loss, moved away from the farm to start life somewhere else.

A few years later, a talented writer bought a box containing a large selection of notebooks. The books held the writings of a young girl. The writer continued to read the strange tales as inspiration struck.

His next story was titled _Alice in Wonderland_.


End file.
